2019 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Austin Rivers: 2 years, $4.5 million (Houston Rockets)
Free agent guard Austin Rivers has agreed to a two-year deal to return to the Houston Rockets, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2019
He's getting the vet minimum, $2,174,318 per for a seven-year veteran. https://t.co/a7CuBcb3Fh
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 1, 2019
On a two-year contract worth the veteran minimum, the Houston Rockets are continuing to bolster their bench by bringing back a familiar face who was a legitimate difference-maker last year.
Although the dream scenario of a Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade hasn’t come into focus, Austin Rivers was an impactful piece for the second unit last season, averaging 8.7 points per game. He only shot 32.1 percent from 3 in the regular season, but that number dramatically spiked in the playoffs, rising to a blistering 45.7 percent on 3.5 attempts per game.
If the Rockets can get anything near that type of efficiency from Rivers next year, they’ll be in good shape. The blockbuster move may not be coming, but with the West wide open, simply re-signing the team’s capable free agents could be enough to finally put Houston over the top.
Grade: B